H.—3l

60

Te Aroha : Further house connections have been made, and consideration given to proposals for the extension of the present system. Complaints regarding pollution of the Waihou River by sewage occurred during the year, and a report on the matter was submitted to the Board of Health. Tauranga : A new drainage scheme is under way, and a report was made thereon during the year in connection with loan proposals. The applying of the departmental Drainage and Plumbing Eegulations to most of the local authorities' areas has undoubtedly contributed to the marked improvement noted in general sanitation and drainage. Improvement is also noted in the collection and disposal of household garbage and nightso.il, all the dumps being subjected to regular inspection by the departmental Inspectors, and the sites for new dumps approved before use. The investigation of nuisances of various kinds and remedial action have also been attended to. With the increased popularity of the islands in the Gulf —Waiheke, Kawau, &c.—as holiday resorts, a greater measure of sanitary surveillance has been required and exercised, with good results. Bit-laws. —Efforts have been made to get the various County Councils in this area to adopt a set of comprehensive by-laws. The matter has been brought under the notice of the County Councils' Association, which has circularized the various Councils regarding the matter. Division of Nursing.—The inspection and licensing of public and private hospitals and the supervision and registration of maternity and general nurses have been given much attention. As occasion arose I have myself made inspection of some of the hospitals, which have for the most part been very well conducted. Water-supplies. A good deal of work has been done in the supervision of the various public water-supplies. Inspection of the various catchment areas to ensure the protection of the supplies from possible human or animal contamination, and endeavour to place these areas under the efficient control of the local authority served thereby, was made. Special action in this respect was taken in regard to the Dargaville, Whangarei, Takapuna, Thames, and Tauranga catchment areas. Such bacteriological and chemical examinations of supplies as were required were made, and the results communicated to the local authorities concerned, with any necessary recommendations in regard to chlorination or improvement of the supply. A new water-supply was instituted by the Thames County Council during the year from the Oma.hu Stream, and was reticulated throughout the Puriri, Omahu, Wharepoa, and Hikutaia districts. Assistance and advice have been given in regard to the establishment of various small private supplies, as for dairy factories, &c. Pood and Drugs. Regular inspection of food-sellers' premises has been made throughout the year, and the necessary action taken to remedy any defects found. Supervision has also been given to the establishment and conduct of restaurants and eating-houses. Many samples of foodstuffs, principally the staple foods as milk, butter, &c., have been analysed, and warnings issued or prosecutions instituted against the vendors of non-complying samples. Adequate fines have been imposed by the Court when convictions were recorded, and ample reports of cases have appeared in the press, which may have proved a deterrent to prospective wrongdoers. Generally however, vendors have honestly tried to comply with the standard set, and have co-operated to produce a good article under hygenic conditions. Consideration has been given to the labelling of foodstuffs, and corrective action taken and advice given on this matter. During the year Inspector Bamberry, Sanitary Inspector to the Tauranga Borough Council, was appointed an officer under the Sale of Pood and Drugs Act, to enable him to procure food-samples for analysis under direction from this office. Native Health. Attention has been paid to the educational side of this work, and lectures have been given by Mr. Leaf, Maori Health Inspector, and by the district nurses, on simple lines, on hygienic living and cleanliness, and the care of infants, &c. Departmental publications printed in Maori have also been distributed. There is a fairly large Maori population in the two districts, and especially in the North Auckland area, where living-conditions have been improved by the consolidation of lands and the allotting of individual farms, with Government assistance in stocking and farming the land. Many of the Maoris have made good, and their living-conditions are markedly superior to those where this scheme is not in operation. The general health for the past year has been fairly good, as little dysentery and enteric fever have occurred, although some influenzal colds and the usual run of skin-complaints have been noted. The Native-school teachers, who are supplied with free remedies by the Department, have been of great assistance in treating minor ailments.